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secretly　loved。　Nevertheless；　he　wanted　still　to　doubt。　She　went　to
the　hackney…coach；　and　got　into　it。

〃The　house　will　always　be　there　and　I　can　search　it　later；〃　thought
the　young　man；　following　the　carriage　at　a　run；　to　solve　his　last
doubts；　and　soon　he　did　so。

The　carriage　stopped　in　the　rue　de　Richelieu　before　a　shop　for
artificial　flowers；　close　to　the　rue　de　Menars。　The　lady　got　out；
entered　the　shop；　sent　out　the　money　to　pay　the　coachman；　and
presently　left　the　shop　herself；　on　foot；　after　buying　a　bunch　of
marabouts。　Marabouts　for　her　black　hair！　The　officer　beheld　her；
through　the　window…panes；　placing　the　feathers　to　her　head　to　see　the
effect；　and　he　fancied　he　could　hear　the　conversation　between　herself
and　the　shop…woman。

〃Oh！　madame；　nothing　is　more　suitable　for　brunettes：　brunettes　have
something　a　little　too　strongly　marked　in　their　lines；　and　marabouts
give　them　just　that　/flow/　which　they　lack。　Madame　la　Duchesse　de
Langeais　says　they　give　a　woman　something　vague；　Ossianic；　and　very
high…bred。〃

〃Very　good；　send　them　to　me　at　once。〃

Then　the　lady　turned　quickly　toward　the　rue　de　Menars；　and　entered　her
own　house。　When　the　door　closed　on　her；　the　young　lover；　having　lost
his　hopes；　and　worse；　far　worse；　his　dearest　beliefs；　walked　through
the　streets　like　a　drunken　man；　and　presently　found　himself　in　his　own
room　without　knowing　how　he　came　there。　He　flung　himself　into　an　arm…
chair；　put　his　head　in　his　hands　and　his　feet　on　the　andirons；　drying
his　boots　until　he　burned　them。　It　was　an　awful　moment；one　of　those
moments　in　human　life　when　the　character　is　moulded；　and　the　future
conduct　of　the　best　of　men　depends　on　the　good　or　evil　fortune　of　his
first　action。　Providence　or　fatality？choose　which　you　will。

This　young　man　belonged　to　a　good　family；　whose　nobility　was　not　very
ancient；　but　there　are　so　few　really　old　families　in　these　days；　that
all　men　of　rank　are　ancient　without　dispute。　His　grandfather　had
bought　the　office　of　counsellor　to　the　Parliament　of　Paris；　where　he
afterwards　became　president。　His　sons；　each　provided　with　a　handsome
fortune；　entered　the　army；　and　through　their　marriages　became　attached
to　the　court。　The　Revolution　swept　the　family　away；　but　one　old
dowager；　too　obstinate　to　emigrate；　was　left；　she　was　put　in　prison；
threatened　with　death；　but　was　saved　by　the　9th　Thermidor　and
recovered　her　property。　When　the　proper　time　came；　about　the　year
1804；　she　recalled　her　grandson　to　France。　Auguste　de　Maulincour；　the
only　scion　of　the　Carbonnon　de　Maulincour；　was　brought　up　by　the　good
dowager　with　the　triple　care　of　a　mother；　a　woman　of　rank；　and　an
obstinate　dowager。　When　the　Restoration　came；　the　young　man；　then
eighteen　years　of　age；　entered　the　Maison…Rouge；　followed　the　princes
to　Ghent；　was　made　an　officer　in　the　body…guard；　left　it　to　serve　in
the　line；　but　was　recalled　later　to　the　Royal　Guard；　where；　at　twenty…
three　years　of　age；　he　found　himself　major　of　a　cavalry　regiment；a
splendid　position；　due　to　his　grandmother；　who　had　played　her　cards
well　to　obtain　it；　in　spite　of　his　youth。　This　double　biography　is　a
compendium　of　the　general　and　special　history；　barring　variations；　of
all　the　noble　families　who　emigrated　having　debts　and　property；
dowagers　and　tact。

Madame　la　Baronne　de　Maulincour　had　a　friend　in　the　old　Vidame　de
Pamiers；　formerly　a　commander　of　the　Knights　of　Malta。　This　was　one　of
those　undying　friendships　founded　on　sexagenary　ties　which　nothing　can
weaken；　because　at　the　bottom　of　such　intimacies　there　are　certain
secrets　of　the　human　heart；　delightful　to　guess　at　when　we　have　the
time；　insipid　to　explain　in　twenty　words；　and　which　might　make　the
text　of　a　work　in　four　volumes　as　amusing　as　the　Doyen　de　Killerine；
a　work　about　which　young　men　talk　and　judge　without　having　read　it。

Auguste　de　Maulincour　belonged　therefore　to　the　faubourg　Saint…Germain
through　his　grandmother　and　the　vidame；　and　it　sufficed　him　to　date
back　two　centuries　to　take　the　tone　and　opinions　of　those　who　assume
to　go　back　to　Clovis。　This　young　man；　pale；　slender；　and　delicate　in
appearance；　a　man　of　honor　and　true　courage；　who　would　fight　a　duel
for　a　yes　or　a　no；　had　never　yet　fought　upon　a　battle…field；　though　he
wore　in　his　button…hole　the　cross　of　the　Legion　of　honor。　He　was；　as
you　perceive；　one　of　the　blunders　of　the　Restoration；　perhaps　the　most
excusable　of　them。　The　youth　of　those　days　was　the　youth　of　no　epoch。
It　came　between　the　memories　of　the　Empire　and　those　of　the
Emigration；　between　the　old　traditions　of　the　court　and　the
conscientious　education　of　the　/bourgeoisie/；　between　religion　and
fancy…balls；　between　two　political　faiths；　between　Louis　XVIII。；　who
saw　only　the　present；　and　Charles　X。；　who　looked　too　far　into　the
future；　it　was　moreover　bound　to　accept　the　will　of　the　king；　though
the　king　was　deceiving　and　tricking　it。　This　unfortunate　youth；　blind
and　yet　clear…sighted；　was　counted　as　nothing　by　old　men　jealously
keeping　the　reins　of　the　State　in　their　feeble　hands；　while　the
monarchy　could　have　been　saved　by　their　retirement　and　the　accession
of　this　Young　France；　which　the　old　doctrinaires；　the　/emigres/　of　the
Restoration；　still　speak　of　slightingly。　Auguste　de　Maulincour　was　a
victim　to　the　ideas　which　weighed　in　those　days　upon　French　youth；　and
we　must　here　explain　why。

The　Vidame　de　Pamiers　was　still；　at　sixty…seven　years　of　age；　a　very
brilliant　man；　having　seen　much　and　lived　much；　a　good　talker；　a　man
of　honor　and　a　gallant　man；　but　who　held　as　to　women　the　most
detestable　opinions；　he　loved　them；　and　he　despised　them。　/Their/
honor！　/their/　feelings！　Ta…ra…ra；　rubbish　and　shams！　When　he　was　with
them；　he　believed　in　them；　the　ci…devant　〃monstre〃；　he　never
contradicted　them；　and　he　made　them　shine。　But　among　his　male　friends；
when　the　topic　of　the　sex　came　up；　he　laid　down　the　principle　that　to
deceive　women；　and　to　carry　on　several　intrigues　at　once；　should　be
the　occupation　of　those　young　men　who　were　so　misguided　as　to　wish　to
meddle　in　the　affairs　of　the　State。　It　is　sad　to　have　to　sketch　so
hackneyed　a　portrait；　for　has　it　not　figured　everywhere　and　become；
literally；　as　threadbare　as　that　of　a　grenadier　of　the　Empire？　But　the
vidame　had　an　influence　on　Monsieur　de　Maulincour's　destiny　which
obliges　us　to　preserve　his　portrait；　he　lectured　the　young　man　after
his　fashion；　and　did　his　best　to　convert　him　to　the　doctrines　of　the
great　age　of　gallantry。

The　dowager；　a　tender…hearted；　pious　woman；　sitting　between　God　and
her　vidame；　a　model　of　grace　and　sweetness；　but　gifted　with　that
well…bred　persistency　which　triumphs　in　the　long　run；　had　longed　to
preserve　for　her　grandson　the　beautiful　illusions　of　life；　and　had
therefore　brought　him　up　in　the　highest　principles；　she　instilled　into
him　her　own　delicacy　of　feeling　and　made　him；　to　outward　appearance；　a
timid　man；　if　not　a　fool。　The　sensibilities　of　the　young　fellow；
preserved　pure；　were　not　worn　by　contact　without；　he　remained　so
chaste；　so　scrupulous；　that　he　was　keenly　offended　by　actions　and
maxims　to　which　the　world　attached　no　consequence。　Ashamed　of　this
susceptibility；　he　forced　himself　to　conceal　it　under　a　false
hardihood；　but　he　suffered　in　secret；　all　the　while　scoffing　with
others　at　the　things　he　reverenced。

It　came　to　pass　that　he　was　deceived；　because；　in　accordance　with　a
not　uncommon　whim　of　destiny；　he；　a　man　of　gentle　melancholy；　and
spiritual　in　love；　encountered　in　the　object　of　his　first　passion　a
woman　who　held　in　horror　all　German　sentimentalism。　The　young　man；　in
consequence；　distrusted　himself；　became　dreamy；　absorbed　in　his
griefs；　complaining　of　not　being　understood。　Then；　as　we　desire　all
the　more　violently　the　things　we　find　difficult　to　obtain；　he
continued　to　adore　women　with　that　ingenuous　tenderness　and　feline
delicacy　the　secret　of　which　belongs　to　women　themselves；　who　may；
perhaps；　prefer　to　keep　the　monopoly　of　it。　In　point　of　fact；　though
women　of　the　world　complain　of　the　way　men　love　them；　they　have　little
liking　themselves　for　those　whose　soul　is　half　feminine。　Their　own
superiority　consists　in　making　men　believe　they　are　their　inferiors　in
love；　therefore　they　will　readily　leave　a　lover　if　he　is　inexperienced
enough　to　rob　them　of　those　fears　with　which　they　seek　to　deck
themselves；　those　delightful　tortures　of　feigned　jealousy；　those
troubles　of　hope　betrayed；　those　futile　expectations；in　short；　the
whole　procession　of　their　feminine　miseries。　They　hold　Sir　Charles
Grandison　in　horror。　What　can　be　more　contrary　to　their　nature　than　a
tranquil；　perfect　love？　They　want　emotions；　happiness　without　storms
is　not　happiness　to　them。　Women　with　souls　that　are　strong　enough　to
bring　infinitude　into　love　are　angelic　exceptions；　they　are　among
women　what　noble　geniuses　are　among　men。　Their　great　passions　are　rare
as　masterpieces。　Below　the　level　of　such　love　come　compromises；
conventions；　passing　and　contemptible　irritations；　as　in　all　things
petty　and　perishable。

Amid　the　hidden　disasters　of　his　heart；　and　while　he　was　still　seeking
the　woman　who　could　comprehend　him　（a　search　which；　let　us　remark　in
passing；　is　o